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How do you use your GPS?

I have had a GPS for quite a few years now and am in the middle of upgrading. I currently have one of the first Garmin E-Trex made. Basically it has no maps just a screen that shows where you are and where other way points are. I just placed and order for a Garmin Oregon 450T. All the reviews I read talk about poor battery life, hard to use with gloves, and hard to see in bright sunlight. My question is how everyone uses there GPS? The way I use my current GPS is I mark where I'm starting, then I turn it off. Every now and then I turn it on to see elevation and where I am located in reference to where I started. I have to change batteries once per year this way, on the reviews people talk about using one set of batteries a day. Another complaint is "Hard to use with gloves", this only makes sense to me. My Iphone will not work with gloves. I just wanted to see how people on this site use their GPS, do you guys leave it on all day, are you constantly checking things?
Thanks for the input!

I leave mine (Garmin Venture HC) on and track all my walks. I use it to pick up waypoints, whether it be marking game, wallows, beds, etc... Then I am able to download it to my computer and I have all the information I need in the future. I am able to put all my tracks and waypoints onto Google Earth too. I havent done any back packing in and camping type hunts, so I do not know battery life in that aspect. I have had 9-10 mile days and still have plenty of battery life left over for other shorter walks before needing to change batteries.

Don't worry, the 450 has decent battery life with lithiums. I don't leave it on all the time, but I went through half the season on one set of batteries. You can use it just as you did your Etrex, or go into the more advanced features. I use it with a huntinggpsmaps card to see boundaries, etc.

My 450 easily lasted 9 straight days with moderate use each day. I didn't leave it on the entire time, but it was on for a decent amount of time. I even used it as an alarm clock each night. I do dislike its touch screen though.. It's not sensitive enough sometimes, and others its too sensitive, dropping pins, when you haven't asked it to..

The Following User Says Thank You to Fink For This Useful Post:

I have a Garmin Rino 120, which has a built-in radio, but that I turn off if I am going to have it on for any length of time. With the radio off and leaving it running all day on alkalines, I get about 1.5 days off a set of batteries.

Because of that, I do like you do, I turn it on to check at regular intervals to check my location and elevation and then set a waypoint in case I need it to backtrack or want to come back. Then I turn it off.

The Rino has a little joystick, which can be a little time consuming, but I hate touchscreens. They're temperature sensitive, then there's the whole thing with gloves and big fingers making them difficult to use. I don't have any of those problems with my Rino.

As far as the maps, I guess I'm old fashioned, whether I'm driving or walking, I use paper maps to figure out how I want to get where I want to go and just use the GPS to tell me where I am.

One day when I have some money to spare, I'll probably spring for a Garmin Foretrex 401.

Ah, the nostalgic aroma of a yak dung stove brewing up some tea full of herbs best left untranslated.
From the Zen Backpacking Site

I have the least expensive garmin e trex I could find. I only use it to mark waypoints ( truck, camp, horses tied up, down animal ). Sometimes I will mark wallows or a good glassing point. I hardly ever leave it on when I am walking, if it is dark then I will if I am walking back to the horses or camp. I never had a gps untill about 5 years ago when I got lost in the fog and snow and it took a few hours to find where I tied up the horses.

The Following User Says Thank You to BKC For This Useful Post:

I have the 450T and use it about the same way you do ssliger...I do have map sd cards i for it WY and NM... great gps !..... JMSZ I also have a Rhino 120 and the Oregon 450 T blows it away ! The 450T is so much easier to use bigger,brighter, easier to use at night or anytime . IMO the touch screen is the only way to go. Try one sometime I think you will really like it better.

I too only turn mine on to mark way points or check elevation and time of day. I also use mine by checking areas, waterholes, bedding areas on Google Earth and then put the way point into my GPS. I then can do a go to and follow it right to the spot I wanted to check out from Google Earth. I can usually get a full year on batteries this way.